China Airlines, EVA Airways Pilots Set to Go On Strike|華航.長榮機師工會反過勞 將罷工投票

Some people's vacation plans might be affected as Taoyuan's pilots union is considering going on strike from July 16 to Aug. 6 after negotiations with airlines broke down. But before that happens, the union has to hold a vote first, with If over half of the members in favor of the decision, for the strike to be legal.


The China Airlines and EVA Airways chapters of Taoyuan's pilots union call for improved flight safety and working conditions. On the 25th, the union's board passed a unanimous resolution to proceed with a vote to go on strike from July 17 to Aug. 6. If over 50 percent of members vote in favor of striking, the union will be able to legally go on strike.

If EVA Airways and China Airlines were willing to show goodwill, there is no way we would ever oppose this. This won't affect any -- the vote will take place between July 16 and Aug. 6.

The union says it currently has 800 China Airlines members and over 500 EVA Airways members, and excessive overtime and overwork are long-term problems that labor negotiations have failed to resolve. It also says the attitude of the airlines leaves its members with no choice but to strike.

A total of 16 mediation proposals were submitted to the Department of Labor. Even the head of the department thought some of them could work out. However, the airline just kept saying this was their management right and they couldn't give us what we were asking for.

In a statement, China Airlines said the seven agreements it signed with pilots unions in 2015 have already greatly improved working conditions and it was the union that canceled many of last year's 17 negotiation sessions last year. China Airlines says the unions refused to come back to the negotiating table on many occasions and it is not solely responsible for the lack of progress on this front.